


Don't be Afraid of the Monsters

by mideltone_one



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fluff, Halloween, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 22:25:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12567556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mideltone_one/pseuds/mideltone_one
Summary: Robert's Halloween isn't what he expected at all.





	Don't be Afraid of the Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> A little bit of Halloween fluff. Set in 2017.

Victoria is just out of the shower when there's a knock at the door. Robert curses himself for not putting out the candle in the lantern as soon as she'd gone upstairs, but it's too late now. He's dressed, at Vic’s insistence, as Frankenstein's monster, but he only agreed to it to stop her complaining.  
“Trick or … oh it's you.” Liv is dressed as Dracula, whilst behind her, Aaron is rocking a fairly convincing Quasimodo, albeit Robert doesn't remember the hunchback having a beard. There are, he reasons, some things it would be too much to ask people to do for the sake of an evening in costume, and a clean-shaven Aaron is one of them.  
“Robert doesn’t want to be bothered by us,” says Aaron wearily, “let’s go next door. I’m sure Jimmy’ll have some good sweets, if he hasn’t eaten them all himself already.”

As they turn to leave, Robert’s heart sinks. “Hey,” he says, “don’t be daft. Vic’s got enough treats to feed an army. Give me a second, please.” He hopes his pleading isn’t too obvious.  
They turn back and look at him. “Go on then,” says Liv, as if they’re doing him a favour.  
Robert steps back from thedoor, pushing it to, and glances at the bowl of sweets for a moment, before a new idea fills his head. Twisting around, he rushes off to the kitchen. When he returns he is holding a can of lager. He scoops up a handful of treats from the bowl with his spare hand and hooks the door open with his foot. Liv has a bag between her hands, which she holds forward as Robert dumpsthe handful of sweets into it.  
“Here you go.” He hands Aaron a can of lager. It's the brand he always mocked Aaron for drinking, which he said he'd never drink himself. He hopes he won’t have to explain to Aaron that he’s kept some in the fridge just as a reminder of the man he’s lost.  
“Can I swap the sweets for one of those?” asks Liv, pointing at the can.  
Before Robert can answer, Aaron speaks. “You looking to get kids drunk?” he asks, with a disapproving tone.  
“No,” protests Robert, “the cans are only for the big kids.” He smiles to himself as Liv smirks, stopping herself when she realises Aaron is directing a hard stare at the back of her head.  
Aaron looks at the can and furrows his brow. Why would Robert have this brand? He hates it. He only ever bought it because “it makes my husband happy.” Maybe he should refuse the offer, but when he sees the look on Robert's face, the fear in his eyes, he can't bring himself to do it. He might regret it later on, if Robert reads more into it than intended.

Liv and Aaron stare at Robert for a moment, which rather freaks him out. “Robert,” says Liv eventually, “you’ve … um … got a screw loose.” Given what he's done this year, what he's thrown away, all at his own bidding, it seems accurate, if a little rude. It's an extra kick in the teeth how much he misses her putting him down like this.  
“I think it's a bolt actually,” says Aaron, motioning to his own neck.  
Robert lifts his hand to his neck, realising the stick-on bolt on his neck has come loose. It's a huge relief to him that his “costume malfunction” is all she is referring to. “Oh,” he says meekly, “well it doesn't matter much does it? Not like I'm going out anywhere, is it?”  
“What about Home Farm? Aren't the Whites putting on something for Halloween? Some posh party?” asks Aaron.  
“Probably,” says Robert, with a heavy sigh, “but that's the last place I want to be. They're horrifying all year round. They don't need a special night, or costumes.”  
“Does that include the mother of your child?” Aaron sees Robert flinch as he says it, and instantly regrets his words.  
“She's the worst of the lot,” he replies, sounding the least like Robert Aaron can remember hearing. There's a pregnant pause in the conversation, with both men looking troubled.

Liv glances between their two faces before speaking. “Why don't you come round with us?” she asks. She knows Aaron still has feelings for Robert, that the happiness he portrays to others is veneer thin. If she's being completely honest, she misses him too, not that she can tell him, not while Aaron is in earshot.  
“Really?” Robert looks like he can't quite believe what he's just heard.  
Liv gives Aaron one of her hard stares. “Go on then,” he says reluctantly.  
“If you're sure.” Robert is scared this will be too much for Aaron, that forcing himself into his husband's space will drive the two of them further apart.  
Aaron senses the tension and smiles to defuse it. “Yeah, it's fine.” He hopes it will be.

Having re-applied the bolt to his neck, Robert says his goodbyes to Victoria, and steps out into the night. It's cold against his skin, but he feels oddly warm from the pit of his stomach.

~~~

As they walk down the path from Tug Ghyll, Vanessa watches them from the doorway, dressed as Morticia Addams. Robert sighs, realising this is the part of the evening which has been filling him with dread. It starts as he follows Liv and Aaron towards the Mill. After a couple of steps, Aaron stops and turns to face him. “Well,” he says, “that's that then. I guess you'll want to be getting home.”  
It hits Robert like a ton of bricks when he remembers that the Mill isn't his home. “Um, yes … yes, of course. Thanks for getting me out of the house. The evening’s been a lot better than I expected it to be.”  
“Oh cheers,” says Liv, sarcastically.  
Robert shakes his head, “I mean better than staying in, like I thought I would. I've enjoyed myself.”  
“Yeah,” says Aaron, “me too.” His smile transfers to Robert's face.  
“Maybe do it again, some time,” says Robert. “I mean hang out together, not go trick or treating,” he adds.  
“Yeah maybe,” says Aaron. He'd half expected Robert to try to worm his way back in, but it hasn't happened.

There's a definite spring in Robert's step as he makes his way back to his sister’s house. His day started overshadowed by misery, and now it is ending with hope. Tomorrow the big house full of monsters won't seem so scary after all.  


**Author's Note:**

> All characters are the property of ITV.


End file.
